


right now, you're mine

by tsaritsas



Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Again, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Winter, im so sorry this is so awful, like the sickly sweet shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:42:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27706441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsaritsas/pseuds/tsaritsas
Summary: Zoya goes out in the snow because she needs to find a generator cuz Nikolai forgot to get one and this is what it ends in.
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov & Zoya Nazyalensky, Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	right now, you're mine

“I can't believe you.”

Zoya was standing in the doorway, a displeased expression on her face as she glared at Nikolai from across the room. She had her coat pulled tight around her, arms crossed to keep the cold from seeping in any more than it already was. 

Nikolai stood up from the couch, trying his best to hide the fact that he was freezing and could feel it deep down. She glared at him once more, ice in her eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to walk over and wrap his arms around her. He knew how she hated this weather, and he’d forgotten. It was just a small mistake, forgetting the generator, so he didn’t fully understand why his heartstrings tugged a bit at the look on her face. “I'm not the one that knocked out the power, tsaritsa,” he gestured toward the window and the city street below, the power lines covered in a thick coat of ice, rendering electricity useless throughout their entire street. And no electricity meant no heat, as if the snow outside was not already a reminder. 

“You  _ were _ the one, however,” she pointed out, kicking the door shut behind her, “that was supposed to get us the generator.”

He walked closer to her, the floor of their raggedy apartment creaking as he crossed the room. “Tsaritsa, calm down. I had a lot on my plate and I couldn't get to the store recently.” 

Zoya, in an un-Zoya-like manner, suddenly sank into herself. Though perhaps it was just the cold and she was trying to preserve heat. “I just trudged five blocks in the snow to get us a generator, dumbass, and they were out. Because everyone else was smarter than you and knew what was coming.” She stole the blanket he was holding suddenly, right out of his hand just like that, and wrapped it around herself. “I got there and I was the dumbest person in the goddamn store. And it's your fault, you….” she stumbled, “butt faced miscreant!!”

“Butt faced miscreant?” He took a step toward her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He was close enough to take her in his arms now, and for a moment he actually considered it as she stood there shivering, before remembering that he should probably wait for when she wasn’t in the mood to kill him. “That's not your best, tsaritsa. I really thought you had better. Maybe that cold is getting to your brain…”

She stepped closer, making the space between them barely more than a foot. “And it's your fault,” she replied, her fist colliding lightly with the centre of his chest. And then again. And again as she looked up at him, dark blue eyes filled with anger. She barely reached his shoulder, but her glares never failed to send a chill down his spine, which at this moment was the last thing he needed. 

At that moment, however, was when she wrapped her arms around him. It took Nikolai a bit by surprise, but he supposed it always would because his tsaritsa wasn’t exactly the type for physical affection. But this was still so unusual, especially right now since she was in less of a mood for a hug than normal. The realization hit him when he felt her hands on his shoulders, her fingertips ice cold on the skin peeking out from the neckline of his shirt. He gave a small smile, though he didn’t know if she could see it, or if she would’ve wanted to. He returned her gesture a second later, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close so that her head rested against his chest. She muttered, quiet but angry, “I’m still mad, you know.” He felt her grip tighten. “Just cold. This is just because I’m cold.” 

Nikolai could feel his heart beating faster, though he couldn’t discern whether it was just to keep him warm or because it was Zoya, and even weeks after he had told her how he liked her, he still felt a rush whenever she was near. He felt her slump against him then, just slightly, but that caused him to look down. See her face. How her eyes were now fluttering open and closed. 

Keeping one arm around her waist, he moved the other under her knees, picking her up and holding her as close as he could.  _ Saints _ , she was too cold. How was he so far in his own stupid thoughts that it took him this long to remember the dark circles under her eyes that had been there all week from the stress of her classes? He set her down on the couch softly, wrapping another blanket around her when she suddenly lifted her hand. “Nikolai, where the hell are you going?” Her gaze flicked toward him, eyes half-closed but still searching. 

He turned back around toward her, taking her still-raised hand in his, lacing their fingers together as he met her back on their couch. “Why tsaritsa,” he answered, raising his other hand to cup her face, her nose and cheeks red from the cold, “I was simply,” he kissed her cheek, “going to get you,” he kissed her other cheek, “some coffee.” He kissed her nose, which she scrunched in protest, and Nikolai could feel his heart swell inside his chest. “I can’t very well just leave you to freeze without bringing you anything, now can I?”

She lazily gestured toward the lights with her hand. “The electricity isn’t working, dumbass,” she complained, eyes still calculating the room around her, “we can’t heat up any food. Or drinks.”

“Tsaritsa, I know you’re tired,” he leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead, “but we have a gas stove, remember? We can have hot water for coffee–”

“I want hot chocolate.”

Nikolai took her other hand, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss on her fingers. “As you wish.” 

–––––

She had curled up against a pillow by the time he had returned, clutching another smaller one to her chest. She looked up at him with angry sapphire eyes, which, thank the saints, were slightly brighter than they had been before he left. “You’re never living this down,” she told him matter-of-factly as he set the mugs of hot chocolate on the table in front of her. She spoke again when he sat down next to her. “We’re watching whatever movies I want when we get power back, and whatever TV shows. And you’re buying me all my coffee for a week. You owe me.”

“So I’ve heard.” He replied, taking his place on the couch next to her and wrapping an arm over her shoulders, pulling her close. She was still too cold, he thought, even if she was back to her usual cycle of bantering, and hot drinks, and more bantering. He tightened his grip around her to make sure that she was still there, despite her protests that she needed her hot chocolate at this moment exactly, and who cared if it was burning hot and fresh off the stove and she shouldn’t burn her fingers because she would rather they’d be burnt than frozen. 

“You’re mean, you know,” Zoya complained, wrapping her arms around his torso, “even if everyone thinks you’re nice. You’re mean, especially since you deprive your freezing girlfriends of hot chocolate.” She rested her head on his chest. “Everyone may think I mean, and maybe I am, but I don’t keep hot chocolate from people who are freezing their asses off in beat-up city apartments with no electricity.” 

Nikolai took a glance at his tsaritsa, placing a hand in her ink-black hair, running his fingers through the long strands, causing her to relax against him. He had heard of perfect moments before this, described in storybooks and told in legends of characters that had never really existed, but he knew what they meant now. What perfect was, and how it was never planned, how it came from situations that most people would want to end the moment they started. 

He thought so, anyway, as she turned her attention towards him, blue eyes wide, filled with some emotion he couldn’t place. He used two fingers to lightly tilt her chin so that he could gaze into her eyes, drink in the sight of her; messy black waves cascading over her shoulders, glasses slightly tilted, cheeks still flushed from the cold. 

“Zoya,” he breathed, before placing a kiss on her forehead. “My life and my light,” he promised, pressing his lips to hers. She returned it, her mouth opening under his, her hand moving to cup his jaw. Her touch still somehow managed to make his thoughts melt, as he was only able to think of her as she traced her thumb across his cheek. He wrapped another arm around her, pulling her closer and closer until there was no space left between.

He only pulled away after what he couldn’t tell was a minute or forever, when they were both breathless from the kisses, hearts beating erratically, foreheads resting together as they both came up for air. 

“It was always you.” 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> sorry once again for my garbage. providing amnesia stuff as well as eye bleach this time


End file.
